The Business of Commercial Black Soldier Fly Larvae Production

What is the potential behind raising black soldier fly larvae on scale? Well we asked Zach Brooks of Arizona Worm Farm to take us around his operation and give us an idea of how it works and the business potential of this protein. Also we get to see their thermal heated greenhouse, which is super rad.
This video explores: raising black soldier fly larvae for chickens, using the black soldier fly larvae frass, show an example of insect protein, using black soldier fly larvae in the gardens, how much space you need to raise black soldier fly larvae, and more
Check out Arizona Worm Farm: arizonawormfarm.com
This video was made possible in part through a grant from Southern SARE.
Collaborative Farming Podcast: / collaborativefarming
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This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2020-38640-31521 through the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under project number LS21-348. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.” The goal with this grant is to provide context and technical detail for the four principles of soil health.

[@gblan]

I work in the produce dept of a large grocery chain. The amount of we throw away every day is staggering. Could easily support an operation like this many times over.

[@ECMVAQ137]

My cousin works with a DEPAC that takes SEMI loads of expired foods, peanuts, meat, berries ALL of the stuff people shop for. 1/2 Million dollar machine separates the organics from in-organics and I mean LOTS of it. Some goes to Michigan State University Anaerobic Digestion and some to compost site, we are taking LOTS of food!! Sad part by law it must all be destroyed with this process called the DEPAC.

[@agoogleaccount2861]

Well. Looks like you just found your sidd hustle. Or it found you

[@syndrome5372]

I'm guessing you're right at the bottom of the chain in the company, since you don't understand the economics of your own business or how economics works in general. It's a really stupid idea that a lot of people repeat without really thinking about it. The shit don't get thrown away because it's good to eat, it's because it's past its expiry and therefore illegal to sell. You are not ALLOWED to sell products past their expiry date for any reason and could open yourself to law suits and possibly even losing your business license. Everyone just wants something for free and thinks its morally right to have it free if it's going in the bin anyway. It's not going in the bin because it's perfectly fine and can be sold. It's because in another day or 2 it is going to be totally rotten, and customers would go crazy if the food they bought yesterday wasn't edible and bring, again, more lawsuits and they could lose their business license. It goes in the bin for a reason, and it's not to be selfish.

[@syndrome5372]

@@agoogleaccount2861 stealing expired food from your workplaces dumpster and selling it to farmers for agricultural/commercial purposes? Yeah, can't see any way that backfires 🤣🤣🤣

[@MrIanHulstein]

@@syndrome5372 Why couldnt the waste from a grocery store (produce past best before and not fit for human consumption) be sold to someone running a larva operation like in this video? Not suggesting that a normal worker 'steal' it, but whats to stop these insect farmers making a mutually beneficial partnership with grocers? Thats what gblan was suggesting.

[@marieelizabeth3716]

I started farming these this year. My chickens go nuts for these! Definitely saves on feed costs. It's a win win.

[@mdbiplob2897]

Here is the chanal Many many video on bsf larve kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4C1eqd-oM6MY7M

[@roryhogan6564]

Do you know how much waste by weight the consume?

[@user-p6-3561]

nice

[@KK7THK]

No kidding about the 500x production in a week! I have two open top compost bins in my back yard. In one month, they’ve gone from a couple hundred to over (11) 5-gallon buckets of larvae. Sure, my neighbors think the flies are termites (can’t educate everyone) but no one knows I’m the host yard! No compost odor, they eat everything (and I mean EVERYTHING- we have a dog ( 💩), we eat meat so that goes in, dairy, leftovers, cardboard, hair, vacuum contents (I own a cleaning business- I collect gallons of dirt and hair a day) - everything. But the neighbors have no clue. My kids love to feed them and “Mr. and Mrs. Worm”, and I have never seen more beautiful vegetables in my garden as I have this year. Thanks for the video- this is what I was looking for!

[@TheRainHarvester]

Will they eat leaves or grass?

[@KK7THK]

@@TheRainHarvester absolutely :) mix them into your pile and they’ll be with you all season!

[@dagobaker]

@@KK7THK im still trying to grasp this....... i do compost outdoors and earthworms indoors.... maybe i should b doing this in my garden and orchard? im still absorbing this how did you get started?

[@daddycool7543]

Thankyou for sharing your experience. I am thinking of starting my own totally off grid homestead and this was so helpful

[@KK7THK]

@@dagobaker I just started with one Geobin for our back yard- and it quickly grew to three. I turn the piles over pretty often to keep things burning, and the larvae don't seem to mind. I didn't do anything to attract them- they just appeared!

[@tomasviane3844]

The "Straight outta Compost" T-shirt is pretty hilarious. Well done with the farm. That's the way we have to move for protein production!!

[@jasonm7973]

Eat the bugs! 😉

[@Marigold-ip3gw]

NOT for human consumption 🤮

[@mauricebrown9094]

I really liked this video and the owners honesty, and facts about how to go about starting. His honesty and passion for his garden is inspiring . Good on you pal. No Pesticides , fertilizers etc etc, I'm with you pal.

[@nancyfahey7518]

@@Vscustomprinting what are you talking about? You grow an over abundance in the least expensive but nutritional way and take it to mkt. to fund the next year. You make enought to stick in your pocket then good for you. A smart farmer only uses it to expand. And sharing that knowledge for free, imho, is brownie points with the man upstairs.

[@Anamewhowasnottaken]

agreed

[@ECMVAQ137]

@@james_thegirl With worms they increase quality of INPUT in castings, so if it's low quality scraps they still make castings only the better the source the better than product coming out..sorta speak. Worms eat biology (bugs) if the microbes are plenty and eating good sources the WORMS simply take all of that and increase it's value. PS: Worm castings are the ONLY compost matter that a plant can start using a food source "instantly" when the roots come in contact. 40 years of worm bins trying things and learning it is amazing what the "tiger worm" can doo doo.

[@syndrome5372]

I'll take the pesticide and fertilisers over eating literal flies that have been raised on a diet of "trash" in the dudes own words. Hard pass. Absolutely fucking disgusting.

[@mrbrown6421]

@@syndrome5372 Funny guy. Not sure how chickens eat "pesticide and fertilisers". "You will eats Bugz and be Happy" - WEF - Klaus Schwab If you are not familiar with WEF, sir, I strongly recommend you spend a moment examining a future being planned without your input. Many thanks for your comments. Mr. Brown

[@jjuarez83]

Learning that soldier fly poop tricking plants into defending themselves alone is worth watching this video

[@desalegnem]

Great

[@James02876]

Very interesting to see an example of a business choosing sustainability over profitability, with a profound understanding of what humanity is going to have to accomplish in order to continue to thrive. Also a big fan of the "straight out of compost" shirt!

[@this_is_probably_spam]

I absolutely love what they do *almost* as much as I love their t-shirts! Thanks for covering how useful insects are for composting or as protein; your professional & informative video earned you this subscriber, for sure!

[@stueygewy]

Outstanding video with lots of valuable information! One of my favorite nuggets of knowledge was @15:30 where they take excess heat during the hot day time (cooling effect) and efficiently store the heat underground to be released at night time when it is needed! So awesome!

[@BILBO1]

Been looking for Black soldier flys for our chickens. Your explanation fits our intent. Also putting a passive geothermal system together for our small greenhouse as an experiment. I like your system as augmentation. Thanks for being so open to share. Best regards!

[@wavemancali]

That owner is bad ass. I love how his goal is to feed his people first. This is someone who you want to work for.

[@TheSnekkerShow]

This is great, I've been seeing them in my compost for years. At first I was concerned, but then I noticed that my compost tumbler suddenly stopped smelling bad and the big chunks of solid food garbage had been almost liquified. I put a few shovels full on some of my plants to see if the larvae ate the roots or otherwise harmed the plants, but all of those plants thrived. I look forward to them coming back every year.

[@jeancampbell4341]

Its so wonderful that there are people like you in the world. Well done. A more humane way to feed chickens.

[@tilapiadave3234]

Humane ? Microwaving live insects ,,, I guess your definition of humane is quite wide

[@NorthWestAutos]

@@tilapiadave3234 hakuna matata friend

[@meoff7602]

Yeah, I wouldn't go with humane. I would go with healthier.

[@aaaaa359]

How is any other way any less humane? Chickens will literally eat rats if they can

[@tundrablue05]

The amount of knowledge and expertise that is shared is awesome! Thank you!

[@Dysiode]

I was super impressed by everything in the video up to the greenhouse, but my mind is COMPLETELY blown that he has a fruiting banana tree in Arizona of all places. Such an amazing system!

[@cassityart7001]

Really great detailed information! Thank you. ❤️🌱🌞🐛. We discovered black flies on our compost pile outside of the hen yard. The hens were eating the larva that crawled into the hen yard of death. 🐓. This is an excellent idea specifically for hens as a natural protein. We now grow our own grain/seeds.

[@kathychildress18]

I couldn't raise them to creepy, I'm not afraid of insects but maggots are efficient creatures but not for me

[@mikefeddersen2476]

Check out the chicken raisers that bring roadkill home, put it in a bucket with a hole in the bottom, then place it over the chicken run. :)

[@suprvideo]

Really enjoyed this. Ingenious farming with a very low ecological footprint. He explains it really well.

[@user-ic2ug8ys1z]

😀🌱🐢 Zach your honesty and farm is amazing. This one video has so much good information and concepts. I need one of those geothermal units. Keep on moving forward and Bless you/yours.

[@taradomican7301]

wonderful informative video! Not just about BSFL, but holistic approach to localized approaches to organic farming and discussion of making it economically viable. thank you for the video! BSFL are not cute and cuddly, but the are wicked awesome in turning waste into something useful.

[@runnersluck4390]

Keep spreading the word! I think Black soldier fly larvae are really one of the next big ideas in gardening!!

[@catinthehat906]

They may be the answer in aquaculture as well- they can be used to feed farmed salmon, reducing or eliminating the requirement for fish meal from mackerel, sardines and anchovies.

[@iainmackenzieUK]

Looking forward to starting my own family of black flies - seriously. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@50jakecs]

I'm not a farming type of person but I love how they're trying to create a self-sustaining system. I really like how they can take food waste to feed the larva.

[@verairemonger1260]

Will you be so keen when they want you to eat the insects? Because they are already appearing in both human and pet food, and like that other scandal involving our food supply, halal, you will not be told, they will not be open and honest about it, they will stick it in anyway, whether you want it or not. And you don't want it.

[@mkuc6951]

The insect frass aspect in seed growing mix is very interesting.

[@88arakvita]

This is awesome wish this way of farming and gardening was more popular or share with rural farmers in neighboring countries . Greetings from Minneapolis Minnesota 🙏🙏

[@SciStuff]

Good info man. I grew up in AZ, from the deserts to the mountains. Getting and conserving water was always #1 when it comes to growing plants/food. Well, I moved to MN a couple years back and fighting for water is no longer the issue. I now find myself in a place where I can implement things like BSF (cause I can now have chickens) to build a "desert rat's" garden. Thank you for the info. Subscribed…

[@AnnaBananaRepublic]

His thought process is the REAL value in this video. What a logical mind 🖤🔥 intelligence is sexy

[@Vaselining]

This is amazing to see. We produce BSF at a large scale here in Uganda. I'm glad this insect biotechnology is spreading globally!

[@factstv953]

I'm planning to start BSF farm, but I can't find the eggs or the larvae to begin the production. Can you please tell me from where I can get it???

[@judeowor630]

How can one get in touch with you for training

[@sirsanti8408]

@@factstv953depending on where you live just get a bunch of coffee grounds and you’ll have some, they love laying their eggs in thay

[@hickorytomato8904]

I have a dry composting toilet (sawdust) that along with all kitchen waste gets emptied into compost bins used to side dress my trees once cured for a year. Black soldier fly larvae are always there every year when it warm enough and my chickens love scratching through them, aerating my compost in the process. Saves a ton on feed costs 👌

[@dr.rev.lindabingham]

Blessings to all!

[@xiahmia15]

That was insanely entertaining and utterly fascinating. How inspiring!!

[@jfivecoat]

Just visited the worm farm today, love this place and the products they sell.

[@CoreenT]

One day in 2020 I opened my compost bin and was horrified to find it full of "maggots". 😱 So I googled maggots in compost and discovered I had actually been blessed with black soldier flies! 😄 Haven't seen 'em yet this year. 😢 I hope they show up again.

[@dwardodwardo643]

But for producing compost I think they are removing a significant amount of nitrogen. From last year to now it's amazing how they are now the new fad...but not for compost.

[@nancyfahey7518]

We were doing this 15 years ago.

[@dylanminer3728]

It may have been other flies than black solder fly

[@CoreenT]

@@dylanminer3728 I suppose that is possible, but they certainly were not regular house fly maggots and they fit the BSF description perfectly as far as I could tell. 🤷‍♀

[@jessehunter362]

@@dwardodwardo643 Sometimes. their waste is a form of manure, usable as fertilizer in it’s own right, so i suspect a decent amount of the nitrates went right back into the pile

[@lilolmecj]

This was an extremely interesting video. I love the interplay of all the working parts! I am so excited. New sub.

[@turnipsucks6416]

Didn't expect all the exceptional shared information. Thank you.

[@federicomachon8841]

Best farm I ever seen Congratulations Sir

[@billg4630]

I really loved this guys honest straight forward video

[@thehuntfortruth]

This was so cool and answered so many questions I had! Thanks for this!

[@jamesthomas7928]

A lot of good free information - thanks for the upload

[@josearamirez2018]

When bananas are almost full grown but still green you can make “tostones” (fried plantain/banana chips) or boil them in soups and stews. You can also purée them with garlic and make little patties fried or baked.

[@pteechka1]

Love the process of ground heat.

[@TheAquaman1979]

Excellent content and really appreciate the transparency. Truth these days can be so hard to find.

[@129328]

Had no intentions of watching the entire video BUT the video was so interesting I did!!! Fantastic job!!! Stay awesome!!

[@j.b.4340]

Soldier Fly larvae are incredible workers. Millions of them (wild) keep the area under my quail pens clean, and odor free. We don't feed them to the chickens because of our need for them. We buy dried ones from suppliers...even though we have millions. They crawl everywhere after rains. I frequently find them in the house. They are treated with respect in my yard.

[@kathychildress18]

He's definitely got a point

[@user-ib2vm8mm2s]

So you let them in your garden? They don't eat your vegetables?

[@mdbiplob2897]

Here is the chanal Many many video on bsf larve kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4C1eqd-oM6MY7M

[@firstname-qq3xp]

@@user-ib2vm8mm2s the flies dont have mouths. so no.

[@robertcotrell9810]

I like that dude. I hope more and more people and businesses subscribe to his way of thinking.

[@mdbiplob2897]

Here is the chanal Many many video on bsf larve kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4C1eqd-oM6MY7M

[@hewasdeadwhenigotthere46]

Thoroughly impressed

[@mhcbon4606]

this farm looks awesome, as a human, he is an inspiring one.

[@D-H-D]

Great video Zach - thanks from the UK/France

[@jspyrogram]

My chickens, guineas and turkeys LOVE these! But they’re SO expensive!

[@codelicious6590]

Black soldier fly frass is next-level stuff man. I think there is definitely a future in the Black Soldierfly. That GHAT system blew my frickin mind too! Solar-powered fans moving the air and it really seems very very DIY-able as well! Amazing stuff this guy with the cool teeshirt is a pioneer.

[@pvp6077]

I've seen a lot of expensive, overcomplicated greehouse hearings systems and this guy's was a breath of fresh air (no pun intended). Quick, simple, efficient, not ridiculously expensive, doesn't require large or expensive tools or equipment to install....... Just excellent.

[@brooketeague4985]

Thank you for sharing! My husband and I have been scheming up and idea of how to supplement our meat birds on black soldier fly larvae.

[@mollytheda9273]

Great video. Pragmatic, knowledgeable guy.

[@emiliogalu]

Amazing. Thank you for sharing

[@highclimber25]

you are a great teacher thank you for sharing this interview

[@marschlosser4540]

Way cool stuff. I'm glad we have a producer in AZ. I need to get eggs to put in the compost. What the larva leave behind is the perfect feed for redworms.

[@gabrielalbores846]

I live in Phoenix and go to the worm farm regularly. It’s great there and full transparency. They have great compost and other products .

[@hhunstad2011]

Incredibly smart set up!!!

[@effectentertainment7882]

When i first started my worm composting journey i kept getting them and i didnt know what they were so i looked them up. Boy was that a nice surprise lol i gave up on the worms. The larva was way faster and once i figured out they sort them selfs sheesh best little guys ever.

[@prizonfrost123]

Really enjoyed the content...Thanks for the enormous amount of knowledge and exciting content...Love from Nepal...

[@JoeSimonsen]

Everytime I compost I seem to get black soldier flies in there. It's great. I find their shells all around afterwards. I find that just having a small compost bin and by laying down leaves in the fall and wood chips keeps the soil alive all year. My neighbors tell me I should teach a class on gardening because i get so much fruit and veggies to give away. I tell them I don't do much of anything aside from keep the soil healthy.

[@neepsmcfly4176]

Sounds almost like a simplified version of geothermal temperature control. Edit: ah! I found it for those who are interested... It's called GAHT, or ground to air heat transfer system.

[@stevejava4336]

Yummy 😋 Years a ago when I was a young guy. An old farmer said " just hang a mouse or two from the rafters of your coop, then when the maggots get ready they will crawl out of the mouse to the waiting chickens. " Those was the good ol day's. Yes it worked.

[@janetjohnson998]

I just started with my first 2000 larva. The are just starting to pupate. I am ridiculously excited. I have some mealworms and red wrigglers but BFS are my favorite.

[@barbarapearson1653]

Update?

[@huynguyen-qv4jo]

I love this guy!!! He is awesome!!! He motivates me to do what he is doing!!!

[@ThiagoAbelhas]

Amazing material. Thanks!

[@cowboy2180]

That was excellent information, thanks for sharing

[@mihaiciornei5648]

I was thinking, we end up doing what nature has been doing for millions of years. Which is very good, we will perfect this. Great VIDEO!!!!

[@gdhlordzi-nn5ph]

Excellent work

[@crunchworks22]

This has been SOOOOOOO INTERSTING!!!! 8:40 when he details the bio/business model.

[@josephfreddy6653]

Fabulous Work,,, Great Findings and information****

[@duniatani007]

useful video, this BSF farm is huge, in my country BSF larvae are called "magot", very useful as fish and chicken feed. thank you for the video. Greetings from Indonesia sir. Love you all

[@ThatGuyTheOriginal]

Very impressive setup!!!

[@comingtofull-ageinchrist6736]

that was amazing! Thanks for sharing that!

[@drewmow]

GHAT system was amazing!!! Loved this video

[@ogadlogadl490]

Hopefully one day this is the norm in every neighborhood. I wish and pray for it!

[@wendyjennings1502]

I have been so interested in doing this. Thank you! Fantastic ideology!

[@peterv3216]

Such an amazing content! Thanks Jesse!

[@conniewojahn6445]

For years, larvae inhabited my compost bins and I didn't know what they were, had never heard of Black Soldier Fly. I spent hours hand picking larvae out of my compost when I sifted it because I thought they might be bad insects and because I detest wiggly, squirmy things other than earthworms. I don't recall what made me figure out what they were, perhaps it was when I noticed big black insects which looked like flying ants in one of my compost bins, or when I saw dried larvae for sale at feed stores as chicken treats. Yes, the larvae voraciously eat kitchen scraps. This characteristic didn't enamor me to them in any way. Hate the wiggly things. I'd heard chickens love them, so I got five chickens and sure enough, they took care of them and I don't have to hand pick them anymore. Still occasionally have a batch of larvae in a compost bin, but I toss clumps of unfinished compost containing the larvae into a large plastic bin and the ladies hop in and devour them. Now that they're almost all cleaned out of my compost, I'm kinda of missing them, mostly because the two remaining chickens keep getting into the compost hoping to dig up larvae. The moral of the story is, not every bug is bad, and just because it squirms doesn't make it worthless.

[@manolopapas]

Amazing. Love your videos.

[@zmblion]

What a really cool guy and place he is building to bad I live in missouri

[@tracybowling1156]

This gentleman is well spoken and has a great business going. You can tell that he has thought about what he is doing AND he is doing it very well! I have really enjoyed this episode. It's also my 1st episode on this ch. ☺️ I'm so interested in knowing if fish like Black Fly larvae?

[@visaljohn313]

Yes..I follow a YT channel where that person gives live larvae produced from his kitchen waste to his fishes and they absolutely love them. Fishes also grow super quick due to the high protein content in the larvae.

[@sarcasmo57]

Loved this. Thank you.

[@jonathanleiss914]

Great video. I love seeing that greenhouse

[@t3dwards13]

Zach has some amazing ideas!!!

[@user-vh1dp9vj3y]

Thank you for well informing me and if I may say we people, thanks

[@franzwaltenspuhl8892]

Just received a sample of “boogie black” from Boogie Brew when I purchased a filter. I’m looking forward to using it next time I start seeds.

[@bijanmozafari3826]

two fans and a thermostat,.. dude you're inspiring me

[@bryanculas1702]

Thanks for the information . ❤️ New subscriber from 🇵🇭 Happy farming .

[@markfranklin8831]

Great information thanks for sharing

[@dailyrider2975]

Awesome, great to see a working practical farm instead of just theories.

[@lasobaranch9994]

awesome to see this systems been created/experiment with..... composting in the desert must consume a lot of water... would be great to see what its done about that

[@Arikayx13]

That was facinating!

[@janwarrington]

Arizona climate looks great compared to here in the UK ! Nice work guys

[@s9josh778]

That greenhouse heating system needs it's own video, that is super cool.

[@seankraus5246]

thank you i realy liked this episode

[@drewinsch2916]

This is one of my favorite fly families based on how cool the larvae look. I didn't realize that not all soldier flies are aquatic.

[@guptabhishek]

From the larvae farming to earth cooling, this guy is successfully implementing so many sustainable cutting edge ideas

[@ThanksAgain]

Thanks for this-- smart guy-- please do more.

[@InJusticeAustralia]

Fascinating

[@bigcricket4677]

AMAZING video.

[@nathanielflear9045]

Awesome video as always